list.co.uk/comedy Events are listed by date, then Events are listed by date, then by city. Submit listings at least by city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to 14 days before publication to comedy@list.co.uk. Listings are comedy@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Kirstyn Smith. compiled by Kirstyn Smith. Indicates Hitlist entry Indicates Hitlist entry

Thursday 12 Edinburgh Men With Coconuts City Nightclub, 1a Market Street, 226 9560. 6pm. £10. Improv panto from Men with Coconuts. The Thursday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10 (£7; members £5). It’s only Susan blimmin’ Calman on hosting duties! Plus, Ian Coppinger, James Dowdeswell, Hari Sriskantha and Gareth Mutch.

Friday 13 Glasgow The Friday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12 (£10; members £6). Billy Kirkwood hosts a fairly spiffing line- up: Ron Vaudry, Matthew Osborn, Chris Henry and Julia Sutherland.

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20

Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £38. Mark Nelson, Janey Godley, Kai Humphries and Sam Avery get tore into the festive spirit. Night includes a three-course Christmas dinner, comedy show and entrance to the club afterwards. Vespbar Comedy Club Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 10pm. £8 (£6). Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolfe III headlines with support from Susie McCabe and Ian White. MC is Viv Gee.

Edinburgh Men With Coconuts City Nightclub, 1a Market Street, 226 9560. 6pm. £10. See Thu 12. The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £8. Ben Verth presents a weekend packed full of top local and visiting comedians to tickle your funny bone. The Friday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £12 (£10; members £6). See Thu 12 for line-up.

Saturday 14 Glasgow Sarcassy Sneek’s Seasonal Southside Soirée The Shed, 26 Langside Avenue, 07955 186163. 7.30pm. £10. Comedy, magic, burlesque, music and other entertaining delights, hosted by Sarcassy Sneek and all in aid of promoting and raising funds for the first Southside Fringe. With the Creative Martyrs, Willie Dick, Raven Rose, Kevin P Gilday, Shakewell Tarts, Executive Committee of the Greater Shawlands Republic and Iain Ewing.

Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20

Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £38. See Fri 13. Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £7 (£5). The granddaddy of Glasgow comedy venues continues to attract some of Scotland’s best comedians. The Saturday Show The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £15. See Fri 13 for line-up. Vespbar Comedy Club Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 10pm. £8 (£6). See Fri 13, but with support from Dan Petherbridge and Owen McGuire.

Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £8. See Fri 13. The Saturday Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £15. See Thu 12 for line-up. 75 THE LIST 12 Dec 2013–23 Jan 2014

COMEDY

Edinburgh Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10–£15. See Mon 16.

Wednesday 18 Glasgow New Material Night Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8pm. £3. Julia Sutherland hosts.

The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road,

0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). See Mon 16.

Edinburgh Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10–£15. See Mon 16. Thursday 19

Glasgow The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road,

0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). See Mon 16.

Edinburgh Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10–£15. See Mon 16.

Friday 20 Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £40. This weekend’s laughmeisters are Scott Agnew, Gary Little, Rory O’Hanlon and Patrick Rolink.

The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road,

0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). See Mon 16. Vespbar Comedy Club Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 10pm. £8 (£6). Ro Campbell headlines with support from Geoff Gawler and Reg Anderson. MC for proceedings is the splendid Viv Gee.

Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £8. See Fri 13. Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10–£15. See Mon 16.

Saturday 21 Glasgow Jongleurs Comedy Club Jongleurs, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 0870 011 1960. 8.30pm. £40. See Fri 20. Comedy @ The State The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, 332 2159. 9pm. £7 (£5). See Sat 14.

The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands

Road, 0844 335 8879. 9pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). See Mon 16. Vespbar Comedy Club Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 10pm. £8 (£6). See Fri 20 for line-up.

DRAM!, 232–246 Woodlands Road, 332 1622. 8pm. £2. Each week, six comedians try out their new stuff.

The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road,

0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). A right proper festive treat at the Stand, with comedy crackers Martin Mor, Janey Godley, Darren Connell and host Bruce Devlin.

Edinburgh Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £10–£15. De-stress with a whole troupe of funny people to take your mind off the time of year: Mark Nelson, Steve Day, Susie McCabe and host Joe Heenan.

Tuesday 17 Glasgow FREE Pop-Up Comedy The Halt Bar, 160 Woodlands Road, 353 6450. 8.30pm. A free comedy event picking out some of the Scottish comedy scene’s freshest talent.

The Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road,

0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £12–£15 (£10–£15). See Mon 16.

Edinburgh The Beehive Comedy Club Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, 225 7171. 8.30pm. £8. See Fri 13. Stand Christmas Special The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 9pm. £10–£15. See Mon 16.

Sunday 22

Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). See Sun 15, but with Ray Bradshaw and Katia Kvinge. Glasgow Stands Up for the Clutha O2 Academy, 121 Eglinton Street, 0844 477 2000. 7.30pm. £15. A host of Scottish comedians (including Janey Godley, Des McLean, Des Clarke, 12 Dec 2013–23 Jan 2014 THE LIST 75

STAND-UP ROBERT NEWMAN The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 19 Jan; The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 20 Jan HEADLINE GOES HERE Were Robert Newman to look at old footage of himself and David Watch out Edinburgh, there’s a new kid on the east coast block. Baddiel rollerskating into Wembley Arena at the zenith of the ‘comedy Well, OK, chances are Dundee’s bookish extravaganza might never is the new rock’n’roll’ media frenzy, he’d probably feel a little funny. quite reach the exalted status of the capital’s world-beating literary For his career has been deliberately engineered ever since to repel any fiesta but it’s making a very strong case for itself with a series notion that he is a heart-throb celebrity. It would be hard to imagine of events that includes the likes of Nick Cave, Jackie Kay, Alan any girls screaming as he walked on to a stage now with his New Warner, John Carey and Iain Banks (pictured) plus an all-day comics Theory of Evolution. conference. Various venues, Dundee, until Sun 27 Jun. competition,’ he says. ‘The new show is more focused on science. I’m finding it tremendous fun to talk about the new science of epigenetics, as well as breakthrough discoveries in brain imaging such as mirror neurons. I love exploring the extraordinary behaviour of red harvester ants, flatworm nematodes, Antarctic penguins, vampire bats, rats and star of the show the amoeba dictyostelium discoideum, known as Dicty Disco for short.’ ‘The theory is that co-operation drives evolution more than

So, nothing especially close to the reflections on man drawers and

tales of going out-out that seem to have the masses flocking to the big arenas these days. Not that Newman is especially pessimistic about the current state of comedy. Quite the opposite, in fact. ‘When I started out, there were lots of weird and wonderful cabaret acts doing silly, inspired, original and inventive 20-minute sets. Lately a new crop of “indy comics” has blossomed. I like their turn towards soulful comedy, their storytelling bent and their quest for meaning. There are also a lot more excellent and very funny female comics now than ever before.’ (Brian Donaldson)

Sunday 15

Glasgow Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). Redmond eases your weekend to a chilled close with Matthew Osborn and Jojo Sutherland.

Edinburgh FREE Stu and Garry’s Free Improv Show The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 1.30pm. Regular freestyle comedy wizards Paul Graham and Stuart Murphy fire up the imagination with another slice of improv action.

✽Tenacious D The Picture House, 31 Lothian Road, 0844 847 1740.

7pm. £35. Comedy rock (that is actually funny) from Jack Black and Kyle Gass. The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £6 (£5; members £1). End the week, with James Dowdeswell, Jim Park and host Ro Campbell.

Monday 16 Glasgow Gary Faulds’ Comedy Circus